Cleaning up a messy spring.

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[check] Spring may have sprung more than a month ago, but if you are like us, you've been putting off that much-needed spring cleaning--inside the house and out. Thanks to all the wonderful gadgets supplied by Black & Decker's VersaPak rechargeable battery system that fits an entire family of cordless products, our joint is jumping with a bevy of cleanup activity.

The FloorBuster ($100), containing a 10-inch brush roll, is perfect for touching up high-traffic areas of the living, kitchen, bed, and bath rooms. The upright vacuum's capacious dirt cup removes easily and is dishwasher safe. The four-foot-tall FloorBuster stands upright when not in use and its handle can be disconnected for storage almost anywhere. For easy cleaning under beds and chairs, the handle arcs parallel to the floor. A simple touch of the foot pedal turns it on and off and changes the brush/nonbrush switch from carpet to hard-floor applications. This lightweight tool makes work a breeze since, instead of having to lug a cumbersome, full-sized vacuum in and out of the closet for spot cleaning, one can just grab the FloorBuster from the corner where it stands.

For those who want to eliminate the drudgery of cleaning porcelain and tile in the bathroom, the ScumBuster motorized scourer-scrubber ($59) is made to order. This versatile item drives three attachable tools: a 41/4" scouring pad for lifting grime and mold from tub and tile; a two-inch cylindrical detail brush to get at dirt nestled around fixtures and in corners; and a short-bristled 4 1/4" circular brush to scrub sediment deposits from grout lines. Covered in a soft plastic casing, ScumBuster can be emerged in water buckets and used in a running shower. Moreover, it weighs a mere 1 1/4 pounds and has an ergonomic handle for ease of use.

Once the indoor cleaning is complete, it's time for some home...